Fruit pitter



Sept- 10, 1940@ c. J. KlNNlsoN Er AL 42,214,168

I FRUIT PITTER Filed April so, 19:57 2 sheets-sheet 2 F-1E E ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 10, 1940 FRUIT PITTER Kinnison Application April 30, 1937, Serial No. 139,920

14 Claims.

Our invention relates to machines for removing the pits from drupaceous fruits, such as peaches, and is especially concerned with removing the pits from clingstone varieties of peaches used in commercial canning.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved fruit pitter.

Another object of our invention is to provide means for removing the pit of a fruit in an expeditious manner, to provide a product comparable in quality to hand-pitted fruit.

Another object of our invention is to provide a fruit pitter which will remove the pit from fruit despite reasonable variations in size of successive fruits treated.

A further object of our invention is to provide a fruit pitter in which the pit and some of the surrounding fruit flesh will be cleanly removed yet in which no excessive flesh will be excised.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings, in which- Fig. l is a side elevation of a fruit pitter constructed in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line l-ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail cross-section, similar to- Fig. ll, but showing the cup in an advanced position.

In its preferred form, the fruit pitter of our invention is designed to operate upon a half-fruit with a half-pit embedded therein, and includes a means for holding the half-fruit while a continuously rotating pitting instrumentality comminutes and displaces the undesired pit.

As disclosed in the drawings, the pitter of our 40 invention preferably includes a framework 6 made up of a suitable base 7 and a supporting column 8. Clamped to thel supporting column 8 is an upper bracket 9 to which is attached a pitter guard Il preferably in the form of a housing, generally toroidal in contour and extending in the general direction of the machine operator. Piercing the guard H is a transverse shaft l2, suitably journaled for rotation, and at one end carrying a pulley i3 fastened to the shaft and to which a strap ld is secured by fastenings l5.

The strap terminates in a yoke ll fastened by a pivot pin i8 to one arm I9 of a bell crank, generally designated 2l. A stud 22 forms a fulcrum for the bell crank 2| and is in engagement 55 with the bracket 9.

The other arm 23 of the.

bell crank is connected by a pin 24 to a rod 26 extending to an operating lever 2l and articulated thereto by a pin 23. The lever 21 is pivoted about a stud 29 fixed in a bracket 3| clamped to the column 8, and at its other end 5 is formed to provide a foot treadlev 32 for operation by the machine operator. A coil spring 34 is engaged with the stud 28 and with a fastening 36 for a bracket 3l engaging the column 8, and ordinarily retains the lever 2l in its uppermost position, with the parts as shown in Fig. l. Depression of the pedal 32 against the urgency of the spring 3d rotates the shaft I2 in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1.

Upon the rotary shaft l2 is disposed an arm 4l 15 having branched ends l2 and A13, which are fastened to the shaft i2. A coil spring il encompasses the shaft i2 and at opposite ends projects into the ends 42 and 43 and, adjacent its middle,

is secured by a fastening dii-to the guard Il. 20

Under constraint of the spring M, the arm 4| is urged into a position against a stop 4l on the guard H. Mounted on the arm M is a fruitsupporting means. Secured to the arm 4l is a N plate to having rectangular serrations 49 in its 29 upper surface. The plate has an enlarged central aperture 5i, through which passes a stud 52. Encompassing the stud is an annular spring washer 53, confined between a recess 5d on the lower face of the serrated plate t8 and a bot- 30 tom plate 56, retained by the same fastening 51 which holds the plate 133 onto the arm 4i. The lower portion of the stud 52 carries a closure washer 59, held in place by a nut 6l.

The relationship of the stud 52 with respect 35 to the arm di is such that it is freely movable in two dimensions in the general plane of the recess 5t and is slightly movable in the direction of the axis of the stud 52 upon flexure of the spring washer 53. This arrangement is utilized to provide an appropriate mounting for a fruitengagingv cup 52 which is generally conical in shape and on its lower face carries a serrated plate 63 matching the serrated plate 58. When the cup 62 is in an inactive position, the spring- 45 iness of the washer 53 maintains the serrations i9 out of contact, and the cup and the stud 52 may be shifted to and disposed in any desired location within the aperture 5i; but whenever the cup 62 is translated axially of the stud 52, or 50 downwardly as seen in Fig. 4, the serrated plates 63 and t8 come into engagement and effectively lock the cup t2 against movement inr any way except a releasing movement to disengage the serrations. 5 5

As an alternative to the serrated locking surfaces of the plates 138 and d3, there is shown in Fig. 5 an arrangement in which the support arm 4| is provided with a friction plate 65 on the fruit-holding cup 62. With this embodiment, the cup may be held frictionally in any rotated position, as well as in any position of translation in two dimensions.

Also mounted on the shaft l2, by bosses 55 and 6l which are freely journaled, is a plate 6&3 having an aperture 99 therethrough. The aperture 69 is of the general contour, somewhat conventionalized, of the largest cross-section of the pit of the fruit to be pitted on the machine, and is so located as to be in general registry with the central part of the cup 92. The bosses and 6l are provided with depending lugs ll which engage stops 'l2 on the guard l l, so that the plate G9, when inactive, occupies a generally horizontal position as shown in Fig. 4l, being urged against the stops by a coil spring i3 one end of which engages the boss @G and the other end of which is fast on the shroud'or guard ll.

In the use of the machine, a half-fruit 8|, such as a peach, for example, is placed by the operator in the cup 92 substantially as shown in Fig. 4, with the half-pit 82 readily visible through the aperture G9, substantially along the operators line of sight 83, the forward edge 86 of the guard being cut away for this purpose; so that the half-pit 82 can be appropriately oriented in the machine by direct vision of the operator. The fruit 8| has its cut surface S5 substantially coinciding with the plane of maximum area of the pit, which ordinarily coincides likewise with the suture on the exterior surface of the fruit and likewise includes the fruit stem end and the fruit flower end. When the fruit 8| is placed within the cup G2, it is freely movable in two directions (and in the Fig. 5. modification may be rotated) by reason of the movement of the stud 52 within the aperture 5 and the operator Orients the fruit so that the pit 82 is substantially centralized and is approximately in registry with the aperture S8.

The operator then steps on the pedal 32 to rotate the arm li! and the cup S2 in a generally clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 4, until such time as the cut surface 5 of the fruit abuts the underside of the plate E8. Slight further movement of the pedal 32 presses the fruit against the plate SS in turn held by the urgency of the spring '13, and the operators hand can then be removed therefrom, the fruit being appropriately centralized and firmly held. Movement of the parts into this relationship is sufficient to engage the serrated plate 8 with the serrated plate 93. The half-fruit ill, with its contained pit 82 in registry with the aperture 59, is therefore firmly locked against displacement in any direction between the cup 62 and the plate 68. Further depression of the pedal 32 then rotates the fruit 8|, the cup S2 and the plate 98, as a unit, about the axis of the shaft l2 and into the interior of the guard Such rotation is continued until the assembly is substantially inverted over a pitting instrumentality 9 l.

The device 9| is preferably in the nature of a burr or cutter of metal. It is a body symmetrical about an axis of rotation 92 and preferably in cross-section is conventional of the shape of the aperture 69 and of the cross-section of the fruit pit 82. Substantially all of the exposed surface of the instrumentality 9| is occupied by cutting members 93 in the nature of rasp teeth or in the nature of blades, so that the exterior envelope of the cutters or blades 93 is a surface of revolution about the axis 92 as a center. The burr 9| is mounted on the extremity of a driving shaft 94 extending through a shaft seal 96 and into a bearing housing 9i mounted on the top of the column 8 and terminating in a pulley 98 and a flywheel 99. A belt lil! joins the pulley 98 with a pulley |02 on a driving motor |93 mounted on a vibration-absorbing platform lli/t secured to the bracket 37. During the operation of the machine, the motor |93 is continually energized and continuously rotates the burr 9| about the axis 92. Hence, in the final clockwise movement of the assembly of the plate E58, the fruit Si and the cup 62, the fruit halfpit t2 is gradually lowered onto the burr 9|.

In most drupaceous fruits the interior of the half-pit is concave, there being customarily a very soft kernel which readily dislodges or falls out when the fruit is cut into two pieces. This internal concavity of the half-pit is substantially of the same configuration as the exterior of the pit and, when it comes first into Contact with the burr 9|, tends to exert a final slight adjusting displacement of the fruit within the cup 8|. The burr 9i is rotated at a high rate of speed, preferably in the neighborhood of thirteen to fourteen thousand revolutions per minute, and, as the pedal 32 is continually depressed, the halfpit of the half-fruit 8l is gradually fed onto the burr 9E, rIhe pit is rapidly comminuted into a very fine powder or dust, which customarily flies off the burr centrifugally and is discharged through an outlet spout lill into any suitable discharge receptacle.

As the fruit is fed onto the burr 9|, a depression is ground or cut into the pit and into the fruit, which gradually increases in both lateral dimensions as well as in depth. Preferably, there is an adjustable stop |98 on the rod 26, which contacts an abutment 99 depending from the bracket 9 and which is set for the general size of fruit being handled. The pedal 32 is depressed until the stop E08 contacts the abutment |09, at which time the cup 62 has forced the fruit sufficiently far onto the burr as to remove all of the pit thereof and a portion of the flesh surrounding the pit, which customarily is of a different color than the remainder of the fruit esh and hence is customarily cut out.

Upon completion of the pitting operation, the foot pedal 32 is released by the operator, the spring 3ft restores the linkage mechanism, and the spring lid, assisted by the spring '13, returns the plate 63, the fruit El and the cup 62 as an assembly in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 4, substantially into their original position, the plate 6B stopping when the lugs 7| abut the projections l2, and the cup t2 continuing its movement until it hits the stop All which it does with considerable abruptness, this usually being suincient to dislodge the pitted half-fruit 8| into any suitable receptacle.

Because of the exceedingly high speed of operation of the burr 9|, and because the pit is removed in the form of very small comminutions or powder or dust, there are no broken slivers of pit within the flesh of the peach to cause difficulty, there are no torn or ragged edges around the excavation made by the pitter, the tip of the pit is removed as well as the remaining portions thereof, and even if the fruit-half which has been pitted was originally a split pit, the burr 9| removes the various split portions thereof in the shapeA of powder without harming the fruithalf. It has been found in practical operation that the device described produces a pitted fruit which in all respects is equal to or superior to hand-pitted fruits.

We claim:

1. A fruit pitter comprising means for holding a drupaceous half-fruit with the half-pit exposed, and means including a rotary burr having a cross-sectional contour corresponding to the cross sectional contour of said half-pit for oomminuting and displacing comminuted portions of said half-pit.

2. A fruit pitter comprising means for holding a drupaceous fruit by engagement with the esh thereof, saidruit having a half pit and means including a rotary burr having a cross-sectional contour corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of said half-pit for comminuting the pit of said held fruit.

3. A fruit pitter comprising means for holding a drupaceous cut fruit by engagement with the cut surface thereof, said fruit having a half pit and means including a rotary burr having a cross-sectional contour corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of said half-pit entering the fruit from said cut surface for comminuting the pit of said held fruit.

4. A fruit pitter comprising a plate having an aperture therein, means for holding a drupa ceous half-fruit with the half-pit thereof in registry With said aperture, and means including a rotary burr having a cross-sectional contour corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of said half-pit operating through said aperture for comminuting said half-pit.

5. A fruit pitter comprising a plate having an aperture therein, means for holding a drupaceous half-fruit with the half-pit thereof in registryl With said aperture, means including a rotary burr having a cross-sectional contour corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of said half-pit for comminuting said half-pit, and means for moving said plate and said half-fruit for operation of said comminuting means through said aperture and upon said half-pit.

6. A fruit pitter comprising a pitting burr having a shape in cross-section substantially the same as that of a drupaceous pit to be removed thereby, means for rapidly rotating said burr, and means for presenting to said burr a fruit to be pitted.

'7. A fruit pitter comprising a rotatable burr having a shape in cross-section substantially the I same as that of a drupaoeous pit to be removed thereby, means for rotating said burr rapidly, and means for presenting to said burr the pit of a drupaceous fruit to be pitted.

8. A fruit pitter comprising a pitting burr,

means for rotating said burr continuously at highv a half-fruit by engaging with a cut surface and an exterior surface thereof and presenting said half-fruit to said burr, and means on said frame for rotating said burr at high speed.

10. A fruit pitter comprising a frame, a rotatable burr for pitting drupaceous fruit on said frame, means on said frame for continuously rotating said burr, means on said frame for holding a drupaceous half-fruit to be pitted by engaging opposite sides of said half-fruit, and means controlled by an operator for moving said holding means to present said half-fruit to said pitting burr.

11.r A fruit pitter comprising a frame, a guard on said frame, a rotatable drupaceous fruit pitting burr Within said guard, means for continuously rotating said burr, means on said frame adjacent said guard for holding a drupaceous halffruit to be pitted, and a member immediately movable by an operator for moving said holding means to present said half-fruit to said burr for pitting.

12. A fruit pitter comprising a plate having an aperture therein, means for holding a drupaceous half-fruit with the half-pit thereof in registry with said aperture, means comprising a burr having a convex grating surface operating through said aperture for comminuting said half-pit, and means for rotating the burr on a xed axis at high speed, and the said axis of rotation of the burr While operating on the pit being parallel to the plane of the plate.

13. A fruit pitter comprising a plate having an aperture therein, a rotatable burr having a crosssectional contour corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of a drupaceous half-pit relatively movable into and out of said aperture, and means for holding a drupaceous half-fruit with the halfpit thereof in registry with said aperture.

14. A fruit pitter comprising means for holding a drupaceous half-fruit with the half-pit thereof exposed, and a rapidly rotatable, pit-pulverizing burr movable against said half-pit and into said half-fruit as said half-pit is pulverized by said burr.

COURT J. KINNISON. MARCUS LOTI-IROP, 

